


everything is temporary, everything will slide (love will never die)

by Binouchetruc



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Tobi, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Good Uchiha Obito, Guilt, Hatake Kakashi Needs a Hug, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin Needs a Hug, Reunions, Sad, Team Minato-centric, Uchiha Obito Needs a Hug, they all need hugs ok!?!?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28827717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Binouchetruc/pseuds/Binouchetruc
Summary: ...but people do.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Hatake Sakumo, Hatake Kakashi & Namikaze Minato, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi's Mother/Hatake Sakumo
Kudos: 32





	1. Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> So this is my first dip in the Naruto universe and it's scary, hopefully, I haven't butchered any character along the way  
> Don't be scared to leave feedback, it would be very much appreciated! :)  
> I hope you'll enjoy! :3  
> Btw, the title is some lyrics from Birds by Imagine Dragons  
> (also had honestly no idea for summary lolz)

“K-Kakashi…”

No- No. No, no, no! N-No… It couldn’t- 

It- It couldn’t be real, right?

But it was. Painfully so.

The blood. It was everywhere. All on his hand, on his arm, coming out from Rin- Rin’s mouth, Rin’s chest, it just didn’t stop coming out, and out, and out… 

There was no need to be a medic to know she had lost too much, that she wouldn’t survive. Nor here, in the middle of nowhere with no medic nor hospital, nor if she’d been in one. There’s no way she’d survive, no way at all.

He knew, after all, it was his technique.

His deadly jutsu, one he didn’t use lightly. One he never used on friends.

But, he did.

Kakashi didn’t even try to keep the tears in. He didn’t care, couldn’t bother to care. He killed Rin. Broke the promise he’d made to Obito. He killed Rin. Broke the promise he’d made to Minato-sensei. He killed Rin. Broke the promise he’d made to himself.

He. Killed. Rin.

It was the first time the jonin saw her looking at him that way, yet he knew it wouldn’t be the last time he’d see her face like that. Her eyes, wide open and staring at him, boring into his very being and crushing everything as guilt, despair, sorrow and yet more guilt took over him. Sweet Rin, who was nothing but joy and concern for him and full of life- now, her body screamed pain and fear and- and death. Death he caused.

Suddenly, though the time didn’t quite start back as the world around him didn’t yet lose its stillness, Rin did. She coughed blood, a last wave of pain coursing through her body before she dropped, unable to stand on her own nor to keep her eyes open. That’s when Kakashi was painfully reminded that his whole forearm was very much still in her. The feeling of bones and flesh and all as he removed himself from her chest was something he was sure he wouldn’t forget, either.

He felt so sick. Sick of himself.

That’s not what was making him feel so dizzy though. No, he just felt completely... hollow. This, it was the sharingan, whose effects he knew had to come up at some point. Slightly stumbling, that’s how he accidentally let go of Rin’s shoulder. Her corpse fell and he tried to reach for it, with little success. There was a ‘thump’ as it hit the ground, and Kakashi couldn’t help but stare at Rin’s motionless figure, his arm still reaching towards her.

All the dust around the scene had finally settled on the ground and Kakashi could see he was surrounded. Well, he would have, if he had had any remaining care about staying alive, that is. Kiri ninjas’ speaking was but a sort of buzz in the background he didn’t bother trying to listen to.

He dropped on his knees in front of her corpse as he whispered, “...Rin…” 

That’s all he was able to say before an unexpected pain suddenly spiked from his- Obito’s eye. It was burning like it never did before and if he wasn’t that exhausted, he may have screamed. It went on and on, seconds that felt like hours, as seemingly… something, was trying to happen but couldn’t. It was draining almost all the energy he had left, one he could have potentially used to fight back those scums that would most probably come to him now.

Yes, if he wouldn’t fight for himself, he would at least try for Rin. For Obito. For Minato-sensei.

Or, could have, he thought as he dropped face-first onto the ground. 

Once he couldn’t get any lower, he barely had time to see Rin’s unmoving face right next to him nor think about closing his eyes for a second that he was now flying through the air, a sharp pain coming from his ribs that his mind suddenly registered. Not much time either to understand what just happened before his body met a tree. Hard. He was back on the ground in no time, more physical pain accompanying the reverberating deep bone fatigue. His mind was too slow and his body, uncooperating. There was little to no resistance from his part as a hand gripped him by the shirt, yanking him back up and against the tree. He couldn’t even keep his head from going back and forth with the movement, couldn’t keep it from banging against the wood.

At this point, it didn’t matter. He knew he wasn’t coming back from this one. Maybe it was what the universe gave him for his complete inability to keep any of his teammates safe. A little voice told him it was better that way, that no one will be cursed of being his teammate, ever again.

The jonin didn’t even notice the blade coming until it angrily slashed through his shoulder, now holding him in place on the tree. A surprised groan came out. He couldn’t help but think that Minato-sensei would hate seeing him give up so easily. Or, maybe he’d be proud to see he had held it together for so long. He didn’t know. Will never know, most likely.

The ninja twisted the sword into Kakashi’s shoulder, finally gaining his attention. He glared at the guy, but no sound left him this time. If he had told him anything before, he hadn’t heard. Or, listened. Same difference.

“I’ll have to admit you’re more resilient than I thought you’d be, brat.” Kakashi had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Just kill me already, he thought. He was tired of all of this, his hand was still drenched in his sin and he just wanted to let go. “I had planned to get that shiny eye of yours while I could still feel you squirming, but…” Another blade went through his flesh, muscles and possibly bones, successfully pinning him from both shoulders. Kakashi greeted his teeth. “...I don’t know, what do you think?”

The lack of response from Kakashi and his general indifference, or at least what seemed like it with his mask covering half of his face, didn’t seem to please the other. It was almost a surprise when the guy went for his throat. He just seemed like the kind of guy that loved listening to his own voice, so he expected that this little show would go on longer than that. Apparently, he either had had enough of it, or enough of Kakashi. The jonin shared the feeling, either way.

First, it hurt. Duh, blades generally didn’t leave traces in flesh without pain, the two last experiences fresh in his mind... along with all his past history as a shinobi making that fact very obvious and silly.

Then, he was having a hard time breathing. There’s that thought about the similarity between the current and when he woke up from nightmares. It’s no less panicking nor painful, constricting his lungs as he fights for air... though a little bit dirtier, now that he started coughing. Masks do have this disadvantage, and he could already feel his, sticky and stained, suffocating him.

Still, it wasn’t enough to kill him. Yet.

The bastard obviously knew this, did it just that way. Kakashi couldn’t see his face with the Kiri mask on, but it was clear as day he was enjoying this. That was just Kakashi’s luck really, out of anyone ordered to take his eye out, it had to be the sadistic one.

Talking about the guy, it seemed it was time, now. If he hadn’t been dying, he might have been scared of infections as he saw the ninja hastily wiping a bit of his blood from the kunai on his uniform, before obviously in a totally non-threatening way place it on the jonin’s left cheek, slowly tracing back the scar below his eye from the bottom. Rin would have most probably strongly objected and scowled at someone with such blatant lack of unsanitary methods and- Rin would have- Rin…

This, this whole thing… this was all a twisted irony, or karma, Kakashi thought as he coughed blood again. Pinned more or less like Obito, stabbed more or less like Rin… and yet again, he hadn’t followed his father’s way.

He wasn’t sure if should be proud of it, anymore.

The kunai stopped, barely a centimetre from his eye. “It won’t hurt,” said the man, his second hand now placed on Kakashi’s face, holding the eyelids to have better access to the eye, “Well, maybe a li-”

There was a shout, most likely another ninja telling him to hurry, with the annoyed yet nervous tone the voice had. A second, much calmer, just reminded the other to be careful with the sharingan. The sadist didn’t pay interest to the bickering that started next between the two, now focusing back on the grey-haired teen after rolling his eyes at the distraction.

Kakashi? Well, there was the instinct to close his eyes. He didn’t. Both eyes were open, staring at the other with immense hatred. The other couldn’t know most of it was directed at himself, as he was failing once again to keep one of his promises. Obito’s gift, and here he was giving it up almost willingly to the enemy, with how little fight he put. The minimum he could do was facing it. 

It took an excruciating time for the kunai to reach his eye, actually mere seconds who only seemed endless. Then, it stopped again before touching anything as the ninja just… collapsed. Dead.

There was a kunai slotted in the back of his head. It… It wasn’t just any kunai-

“Hold on, Kakashi!” 

This voice- he- 

S-Sensei?

The jonin hadn’t much time to think about it before both swords holding him on the tree disappeared, leaving behind little clouds indicating some sort of summoning jutsu. The guy must have been paranoid of someone stealing those from him after his death, or something. Pondering on that didn’t help Kakashi to land any softer though, nor did it keep a groan from escaping his lips at the abrupt movement.

If he had enough energy left, he would have noticed the concerned (an understatement) glances his sensei threw every once in a while in his direction as he fought, unable to reach his student as soon like he’d wish, or how Minato hit each of his enemies with deadly accuracy each time, not missing a single one like he was in a hurry for the fight to end as he’d never, ever been before. No, he didn’t notice any of this. His head was exhaustingly, dangerously lolling forward and he already had a hard time focusing on not closing his eyes. Drowsy, more likely than not because of blood loss.

Perhaps was it Minato-sensei’s teleportation jutsu that surprised him when he suddenly felt a hand on his arm and a quiet “Kakashi?”, like any louder could have broken him at last. Or, maybe he hadn’t noticed he had finally closed his eyes for a while there. From the concerned frown, lips tightly closed and the sort of grief-filled look of understanding his sensei wore as he looked down at him, it must have been the latter.

Even if Kakashi would have wanted to answer, another succession of gurgling coughing would have stopped him. Minato winced and hastily lowered his mask so he wouldn’t suffocate in his blood again. The boy’s face under it wasn’t a better sight, smeared with crimson blood that clashed sickeningly with the pallor of his skin.

That’s when something else popped back into his hazy mind. Not that he hadn’t forgotten about it, never could have, but now with Minato-sensei right in front of him… it just hit him. Again. Sweet death’s embrace hadn’t yet come, and he had to face what he had done one last time. His eyes welled up with tears, and he fought against the sobs building up and the excruciating coughs to speak.

“ Ri-in- R-r-in…” he started softly, but he couldn’t say it. He just… couldn’t. “R-Rin-”

“It’s ok, Kakashi.” It wasn’t ok. He could tell from his sensei’s reaction that he knew too that it wasn’t ok, as the hurt that briefly passed through his features at the confirmation wasn’t quite softened by the foresight the oldest must certainly have had, as an experienced jonin. 

“R-Rin- I- I’m s-sorry- I- I’m s-sorry, sensei- sorry- I’m s-sorry- I’m- sensei- I’m- I’m s-s…”

“It’s ok,” he repeated with a smile that held all the comfort he could muster for Kakashi, who couldn’t help but feel he didn’t deserve it. 

No, he knew he didn’t.

Still, a teary-eyed Minato repeated those words over and over as he held and hugged Kakashi tight, not caring at all as he stained his uniform in the process. Kakashi clenched at him with all his remaining force, now only unintelligible whispers falling from his lips. The blond didn’t need to hear to know what it was he was saying. Then, the platitudes felt even more bitter in his mouth when the little body in his arms finally fell limp once and for all.

“Namikaze-sama.”

The voice of his colleague cut through the silence that had burdened the place. Minato slightly turned to look at the ninja, and his heart clenched at the sight of the man holding against his chest the little brunette, in no better state than her teammate. He closed his eyes, took a deep, deep breath before getting up, still clutching Kakashi.

“Let’s get back to Konoha.”

If the man noticed how Minato’s voice wavered, he didn’t comment on it and only nodded. The blond was just content enough that it hadn’t broken mid-sentence. They hurried away silently, careful with their loads.

Again, he had been too late.


	2. Too Early

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to find a name for kakashi's mom (so I wouldn't have to call her, y'know, kakashi's mom) with a particular meaning but I just ended up finding one that sounded nice, so nyoko it is  
> also since I have no particular headcanon myself, I gave no physical features or last names that could relate her to one clan or another (I know the Inuzuka theory is popular for example, so feel free to imagine that if you want)

“It’s ok.”

The firstly tentative, then crushing embrace, once the youngest Hatake had returned the hug after a moment of shared hesitation, was something more than welcomed. But, despite Kakashi having still no desire to let go of his father just yet, he knew they had… things, to say. Slowly, his father reluctantly let go of (most of) him, a hand still resting on his shoulder. They both took a seat on the log in front of the fire.

After a long silence that wouldn’t quite qualified as awkward but that still painfully reminded them both of those last few weeks before Sakumo’s… that, he couldn’t go on like this.

“I’m sorry,” the eldest said. They both knew it was weak words for… everything. But, they’d never been people of many words either. Kakashi understood.

“It’s ok, Otou-san,” he repeated, before continuing. 

“I’ve- I’ve grown, since then. Learn… Understand.” With a terrible sacrifice, but he did nonetheless. “I’ve had friends.” There was a slight pause, at his still very much recent pain, but he went on. “They understood, too. Better, and before me. They’ve helped me… quite a bunch. Sensei did, too.”

There was a soft, proud, relieved look in Sakumo’s eyes as he joked, “Ah I can see that. I’m not sure I can hold you on my back anymore. Not as easily.” He then sobered a bit, letting but a shadow of his previous smile on his lips as he added, “...Wanna tell me?” 

“Sure, it’s not that long, but…” There was a pained look of understanding on his father’s face, with how young Kakashi still looked despite the certain maturity in his features, “...yeah.”

~

“... and, that’s it.” There was a pause again, though far less uncomfortable than the one earlier. Just a time for the both of them to let everything that had been said sink in. The younger had opened his heart like he’d never done before, and the elder had listened to all of it with no judgement, though various other emotions, both positive and negative ones, had been elicited here and there. Before his father could say anything though, Kakashi spoke again.

“I… I’ve never really hated you, Otou-san. Never could have. Despite… anything I may have said or… any way I may have acted, I’m… I’m proud of being your son.” Kakashi finished. He was somehow feeling tired after telling all of this, but he also felt.. better, like some weight he hadn’t known he had been holding for so long, or perhaps that he had somehow accustomed himself to the point of barely noticing it, had freed him.

His father closed his eyes, visibly fighting tears, but not so fighting a smile of relief or the urge to hug his son.

“Thank you, Kakashi.”

The jonin closed his eyes too, indulging the kid he still actually was as he wholeheartedly enjoyed the comforting, safe embrace of his father. He pushed away the thoughts of similarity it had with Minato-sensei’s one, not because he didn’t appreciate it or any of the like, but because that last memory was still full of pain in too many ways.

When they finally let go, they noticed the fire was gone, and so was the darkness around. They couldn’t quite tell when it changed or where they now were, but it sure felt lighter. In every sense.

The two didn’t have much time to ponder on this before a bright orb came out of Sakumo’s chest. Confusion adorned his face, but besides that, there seemed to be no pain or anything, which Kakashi found somewhat comforting. The smaller jonin got up, slightly approaching it warily. The little light had no reaction, or none until Sakumo himself got up to get closer. It floated away, like it either tried to keep the eldest from catching it, or was showing him the way.

A brief glance behind and both saw the log was gone. Everything and everywhere now looked the same, some shade of white nacre with no visible texture.

Apparently, there were not many choices.

Father and son began to follow the light blindly. They tried once to see what would happen if they touched it, Sakumo stopping in order to let Kakashi walk closer. His hand, and then his whole body, passed through it. The orb hadn’t reacted at all, and they were back to square one. With a shrug, they went on following it. After all, what could happen when you were already dead?

Slowly but surely, or so they guessed as there was seemingly no real way of seeing the time pass here, the vague background changed to a vague landscape. A weird sense of familiarity with the grass, sky and everything coming to life around them, but it was still nothing clearly recognizable in terms of location.

Eventually, figures began to appear. At first, blurry spots of colours at best, it seemed the closer they were, the faster they turned into real beings with bodies with limbs and then faces.

Kakashi slowed abruptly, coming to a halt as shock settled on his face. Doubt locked his limbs and apprehension froze his blood as chills ran through his little body, and yet, it didn’t halt in any way the brunette nor the black-haired kid in their run.

The bliss of seeing them both standing and lively and- and not unresponsive, bloody corpses seemed to be enough to overwhelm any other feelings, if not temporarily, and release his legs from their stupor. Brushing off his instinct which was telling him that something was off, because why were they remaining somewhat fuzzy if they were getting closer and closer?

That’s when Kakashi hit an invisible wall. Hard.

Surprisingly, or maybe not, he didn’t feel any pain. Though, he did bounce off the wall like he weighed nothing (perhaps he really did, but he was no spirit or whatever-he-now-was expert) and ended up in a not-so-gracious position. When he looked up, he could see it more clearly now. The surface was somewhat like looking at crystal clear water, but as a wall that was holding itself vertically in an inconceivable way. Huh. After bumping into it, the effect too was similar to that of water, a nearly hypnotizing reverberation that never stopped as the endless wall went beyond perception. A shout kept him from being mesmerized by the sight any longer.

“Oi, Bakashi! Look at where you’re going!”

Kakashi’s eyes snapped back to what was on the other side of the strange wall-not-wall. The young man on the other side was grinning at him, despite his eyes (yes, both of them) being full of tears to the point the jonin wondered how they weren’t falling. He could tell they weren’t the firsts either as some wet tear trails were still visible going down his cheeks.

“I don’t think I feel nor felt any dust here, Obito,” he shot back as his own eyes felt teary. Both knew there was no real animosity in their words that might have been found at some point in the past. It was so, so easy to fall back into the old habit though, despite a little voice in the back of his mind telling him he had no right to, not after all he did. Another voice that wasn’t from his mind cut through.

“Obito! That’s no way of greeting! Didn’t you learn anything from every time Kushina-san told you?”

Suddenly, Kakashi’s heart and lungs stopped working. Sure, he had recognized her earlier, but now, hearing her voice… 

The last time he did, she had spat out his name between mouthfuls of blood.

Focusing on her now, as much as he could through that wall, the differences were particularly… noticeable. It was as if nothing happened, despite what must have been a mere few minutes between each of their death. The only thing that betrayed her seemingly normal appearance were the red-rimmed eyes from the crying she must have done not too long ago.

Still, there were no remaining traces of the fear nor pain he had seen in those eyes. Maybe sadness, some sort of acceptance too. The usual concern and joy too, though the latest obviously dampened seeing the circumstances of their reunion. They were half-closed, appearing as soft and caring as they’d ever been. Almost soothing, trying their hardest to smooth his own ragged heart through unspoken reassurance. 

He hadn’t noticed how or when tears had begun rolling down his cheeks abundantly, nor when he had placed his hands against the uncanny gate keeping him from joining his teammates, but what he did notice was the warmth against his jaw.

“It’s ok,” Rin said. Her fingers left his face, and he found himself longing the touch once again. It didn’t go back to her side as he expected, though, but rather found his right hand.

“It’s ok,” Obito repeated. His own fingers moved past the gate with no less trouble than Rin and found his left hand.

Together, they pulled him past the wall.

Together, they fell as a heap on the ground.

Together, they laughed and cried and hugged, unconcerned about anything or anyone.

~

“...Nyoko…”

She was there. Unlike Kakashi, there had been nothing to stop him, nothing that kept him from looking at her, her features exactly like he’d remember if not better, as memory tended to get those little details fuzzy at best, completely forgotten at worst.

“Sakumo..!”

They’re no children, but it didn’t keep them from running into each other’s arms for the last few feet separating them. They held each other a few moments, content enough to simply enjoy the embrace. Then they kissed, something more intimate. They had no fear of being interrupted or seen, after all, it is as much of a reunion for them as it is for their son.

They do need to catch their breath, though, and that’s when she took a better look at Kakashi.

“Is it- it’s…”

“He has grown, hasn’t he?”

She nodded, but there was still a certain melancholy in her eyes when she looked at the three teens. Nyoko and he were both ninjas who knew the price of war and conflict, from the winner and from the looser side, but still. 

Sakumo sighed, as he too looked at them and then back at her.

Again, it had been too early.

**Author's Note:**

> sowwy  
> even more sowwy for minato-sensei ;w;


End file.
